Game-winning drives in the final six minutes, that cover 90 yards and end with a go-ahead touchdown pass with 26 seconds left, will do that.

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It’s still too early to project stardom, as his still-fanatical supporters are doing. His numbers in Sunday’s win over the Bills (319 yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions) were spectacular; he’s played well in two straight must-win games, Washington is 7-7, and talk of a contract extension heats up every week. 

He’s also just three games removed from a fairly ugly showing in an embarrassing Monday night loss to the Cowboys, which made Saturday’s game more of a must-win than it should be.

But Cousins is far more of a known quantity heading into this Eagles game than the last one, in Week 4. That drive changed the conversation, and it has gotten much more positive and encouraging from then on. 

Before that, Cousins had been a turnover machine. His previous game, against the Giants, featured two bad interceptions that jump-started a lopsided loss.

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The following week, though, was the drive that beat the Eagles, 23-20, negated a second-half collapse and evened Washington’s record at 2-2. Cousins didn’t throw an interception, recovered his only fumble and turned it into a touchdown, and was only sacked once.

It was the blueprint he needed, and Jay Gruden — whose unconditional support had started to sound borderline delusional — acknowledged it then, praising him for “managing the game,” and adding, “He’s putting us in position to win in the fourth quarter, and we finally did that.”

On Monday, following the Bills game, Gruden hit the same notes in examining what Cousins does right when he plays well.

“He is letting his players do the work for him — lot of quick-game, lot of balls getting out of his hands and just managing the football game,” Gruden said. “I think Kirk coming out here, progressing, getting better, studying the tape, really, studying the practice reps, just getting better every day. Kirk has really been on-point as far as his preparation for each game and just continuing to get better and better.”

After Wednesday’s practice, Cousins noted how each game this season, his first full season starting, has added to his on-field growth and comfort.

“As I continue to play, things are getting more and more familiar, and they will more so as time goes by,” he said.

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It hasn’t been a broken line of success for Cousins from the first Eagles game to this one. His next two games, both on the road, were losses, on a game-ending pick-six in Atlanta and another turnover-fest against the Jets.

The next week was the biggest comeback in franchise history, 24 points against the Buccaneers (and the post-game outburst that’s become his trademarked catchphrase, “You like that!”).

However, just a week after the Cowboys loss, in Chicago, he got away with a reckless throw that deflected off Jordan Reed to a falling Matt Jones for a critical fourth-quarter first down. They won, for their first road victory this season, but by the skin of their teeth.

But since that Jets loss, Cousins has thrown only three interceptions to 16 touchdowns, and Washington is 5-3.

Often enough, he’s been the quarterback that took his team the length of the field to beat the Eagles the last time they played. 

If Cousins hadn’t managed to do that, Saturday’s rematch might mean nothing, instead of everything.